Tony Priday Award winner, 2017 - award citation David Ewart is well known to many members as a bridge player, but his Tony Priday Award is given in recognition of an impressive contribution away from the table. When David Harris stepped down as Honorary Counsel in 2012, David Ewart, a King's Counsel (formerly Queen's Counsel) specialising in tax matters, volunteered to take over. When the EBU decided to pursue its VAT claim against HMRC it approached not David, because it was felt that it was a lot on top of his regular support, but his wife, Sarah. Sarah is also a tax barrister and was happy to help, but as the case progressed she fell pregnant and had to withdraw. We looked no further than her husband for maternity cover, and since then he has researched, co-ordinated and pursued the case for us at every level, culminating in an appearance before the European Court in Luxembourg early in 2017. That we now know the claim was unsuccessful does not detract from the amount of work and dedication David has put into it over a period of several years, levying no charge at all for his services, thus saving the members untold thousands of pounds. This was all to get Bridge recognition, and through that recognition not only benefit players, but also to help bring the game to a wider community, with all the health benefits that we know that involves. The EBU Board was unanimous in deciding that in gratitude for his support to this cause, there is no more suitable recipient for the 2017 Tony Priday Award than David Ewart - QC and all-round decent chap. David's professional biography Tollemache Cup winner: 2017